(Topic ID: 148304)

Any serious problems with Spike yet?

By sandersj

8 years ago


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There are 252 posts in this topic. You are on page 5 of 6.
#201 6 years ago
Quoted from blowback1976:

No. But I did open the door to test the auto launch in test mode, and it fires fine in test, but in gameplay it's very weak.

ive had my coindoor open on WWE during boot up few times and everytime it updates node board if its open then. maybe try leaving coin door open during boot up will make it reupdate node board for you and fix the auto launch issue for you? worth a try.

#202 6 years ago
Quoted from Phbooms:

ive had my coindoor open on WWE during boot up few times and everytime it updates node board if its open then. maybe try leaving coin door open during boot up will make it reupdate node board for you and fix the auto launch issue for you? worth a try.

Worth a shot. Will try it this week and see what happens.

#203 6 years ago
Quoted from blowback1976:

Worth a shot. Will try it this week and see what happens.

Well it seems to have gotten worse with updating the nodes again. I want to say it is node related as it still fires fine in switch test. I also tried factory reset, and that was a bust. Maybe try updating the code again?

1 month later
#204 6 years ago

Just as a data point, the problem that started this thread was bizarre behavior out of my GoT pro. Replaced the SD card, all good. Started doing it again a few months later. Replaced SD card again. That one lasted a few months before bizarre behavior creeper in again. Now I'm on SD card #4 on GoT and I switched to a high temperature card intended for dash cams. So far so good.

My other spike games have been fine except for a node board on Kiss that went tits up a while back. Warranty replacement, working fine since.

#205 6 years ago

I'll add to this party. I have a 2 week old AS Prem at home with 98 plays. The lower PF lights and flippers started randomly going out the last few games, and now they are out completely. Looks like Node 8 (and all the "child" set of that 8a, 8b, etc.) I have a GoT LE and never had any problems, but see the previous posts here where GOT LE node 8 seems to be a more common problem a year ago.

Anyone else have Node 8 problems this early in ownership?

#206 6 years ago

Node 9 with 52 plays. They are the same part just daisy chained with diff address.

Easy swap just frustrating it was down for 3 days.

1 week later
#207 6 years ago

My wrestlemania Le power cut out while during a game an now when I turn it on only 2 GI lights are on the playfield so obviously a power problem , does anyone know where to start looking for the problem please? Thanks in advance

5 months later
#208 6 years ago

Following up on my GoT Pro issue. It continued to have ghost switch and "behavioral issues" and I refused to believe it was just eating SD cards so fast so I tried a few more things including swapping the CPU out of my GB pro with the one in GoT. While I had the backbox on GB open I noticed a large RFI filter on one of the CPU cables that was absent on GoT. Swapping CPUs didn't do anything, same repeatable problems, but just before calling it quits for the day I decided to cut that cable out of its wiring bundle and get it away from other wires.

GoT started acting almost perfectly at that point. Only one ghost switch weirdness in 8 full games vs highly repeatable and immediate problems before. Time for some clamp on RFI filters for GoT.

#209 6 years ago

Interesting. A before and after pic may help others!

#210 6 years ago
Quoted from sandersj:

Following up on my GoT Pro issue. It continued to have ghost switch and "behavioral issues" and I refused to believe it was just eating SD cards so fast so I tried a few more things including swapping the CPU out of my GB pro with the one in GoT. While I had the backbox on GB open I noticed a large RFI filter on one of the CPU cables that was absent on GoT. Swapping CPUs didn't do anything, same repeatable problems, but just before calling it quits for the day I decided to cut that cable out of its wiring bundle and get it away from other wires.
GoT started acting almost perfectly at that point. Only one ghost switch weirdness in 8 full games vs highly repeatable and immediate problems before. Time for some clamp on RFI filters for GoT.

Did you call your distributor or Stern for help on this?

#211 6 years ago

Bad node board on a virtual machine. They can't get it right and STILL ship it out to the public. flashers out during modes, and illuminated flashing LEDS that show you where to shoot are out. Good stuff

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#212 6 years ago
Quoted from PinballManiac40:

Did you call your distributor or Stern for help on this?

I did back in the early troubleshooting process. I just ordered a bag of clamp on filters from Amazon for $10. I've got some around the house but like most parts I have no clue what place I stashed them at. I'm gong to test the game some more later today and will take some pics.

#213 6 years ago
Quoted from PinLen83:

Bad node board on a virtual machine. They can't get it right and STILL ship it out to the public. flashers out during modes, and illuminated flashing LEDS that show you where to shoot are out. Good stuff

Is this a joke, or ? I don't WTF often, but WTF?

Quoted from sandersj:

I did back in the early troubleshooting process. I just ordered a bag of clamp on filters from Amazon for $10. I've got some around the house but like most parts I have no clue what place I stashed them at. I'm gong to test the game some more later today and will take some pics.

Cool, and thank you. I don't own a spike game yet... but it seems it will be up to the community to document this stuff...

#214 6 years ago

My KISS Pro has no sound on the right channel. I tested the speaker panel on my GB and it's fine. Swapped the wire, nothing changed. I tried headphones and it' s not there as well. Not sure if this is the CPU or not. The only thing I did was update the songs with Pinball Browser. I went back to the factory Rom. No dif. Very strange. Not wanting to pay $100's to have the right channel fixed but it sure is annoying.

I guess I could take out my CPU from GB and put it in KISS and re-flash but I am worried I end up with 2 games with issues. I am afraid to touch a working SPIKE game.

#215 6 years ago

Here's some pics. The CPU pic with the white clamp-on RFI filter on the red and black wire pair (I assume the display power connector) is my GB Pro. The pic with the red and black wired dangling out in space is my GoT pro that now suddenly works a helluva lot better. The red and black wires were bundled in the cable bundle going around to the right side of the CPU board.

My Kiss pro has no filter and I've never had these types of problems out of it. But after about a year on location my GoT pro started acting weird. If you look above in this thread I spent $500 for one each of the node boards and systematically swapped them out with no positive results. Replacing the SD card seemed to help for a few months at a time (??) but it would always go back to odd behavior such as mystery switch hits, i.e. starting a Blackwater multiball without hitting the ramp and when you entered a house mode it would often just keep the ball in the sword lock without releasing it and without providing a new ball if you had just locked a ball. Most of these problems were perfectly repeatable every game.

I played three full games today and I got one mystery ramp hit in a BW multiball and that was it. So its back to behaving good enough for location and hopefully the filters will completely fix it.

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#216 6 years ago

Interesting. That states to be power going to the Display. EMI filters typically trap high frequency interference. Of course, placing the filter could prevent noise from the CPU PCB from being emitted into the game (typically done to pass FCC Part 15 regs). But can also protect the CPU from it being picked up along the cabling.

You stated you also separated the wiring out from the rest of the harness. It would be interesting to know which of the two things you did actually solved most of the problem or if both were necessary to get any results?

Likewise, I wonder if it is the Display assembly actually causing the interference in the first place.

#217 6 years ago

>You stated you also separated the wiring out from the rest of the harness. It would be interesting to know which of the two things you did actually solved most of the problem or if both were necessary to get any results?

All I've done so far is separate the power wiring out of the harness, no filters added yet.

#218 6 years ago
Quoted from PinLen83:

Bad node board on a virtual machine. They can't get it right and STILL ship it out to the public. flashers out during modes, and illuminated flashing LEDS that show you where to shoot are out. Good stuff

The emulation is loaded with all kinds of odd hooks and some kind of save sates with the quick start pick number of players from the menu.

#219 6 years ago

BLUF: A summary of the present SPIKE system and reflection that enthusiasts are not qualified to perform the work of IPC certified SMD technicians.

I am truly inquisitive to see how modern homeowners plan to repair their specific games in less than 10 years when the combined SPIKE MPU has continued problems or failures, replacement parts are NLA, schematics and full logic design remain unreleased and unknown, and Stern has already moved onto a different operating system. This is a multi tiered problem with absolutely no programmed solution, and a manufacturer that really is not concerned about solving the problem anyway.

The combined use of this MPU system with other proprietary controller boards on the playfields exclusive to basic LED lighting functionality make it presently exceptionally difficult to properly repair problems based on general lack of diagnostic information within the node system, and it has not improved significantly with SW or GOTG, yet the SPIKE system has continued to remain in use since 2015 under two specific variations and no major improvements in corrections of the system, and not considering the additive variations of specific boards for direct games. People are still guessing on how to solve basic problems, including experienced technicians, three years later! This is more than a simple weakness of its design, and more dangerous than lack of voltage protection. Operators have to have own complete replacement costly board sets to keep games functioning on routes ($150-1000 for EACH board via aftermarket sales when available), which can easily cost over half the value of a new game, as there is absolutely no way to easily repair them on location except swapping boards themselves, as long as there are no short circuits that would cause further harm to a game.

I understand the standpoint of operators, but most already agree that these games will have to get dumped within a decade of acceptable earnings, if they survive that long. Those that refuse the risk, have completely boycotted purchases now. I expect some massive cannibalization starting around 2020 similar to what was done in 2000-2005 with other solid state systems due purely out of unavailability.

The primary difference between the past technology and the now was it was designed to be repairable, unlike today which in some cases is completely underdesigned and unprotected through use of low cost CEM boards. They truly are low cost, and durability is also quite low with lifecycles less than 10 years. This includes a comparative nature of boards that originally were thought to be unrepairable such as GTB System 1 and System 80 with their poor contact edge connections that are over 30+ years old. There is nothing wrong with advancements in electronics, if there are considerations of how games can be repaired other than simply "swaptronics". This design method does not solve future problems when parts no longer exist, and it requires a complete reengineering of the original design.

Stating that SMD is the proper "wave of the future" without actually repairability is not my preference, I choose the past, and not out of nostalgia.
A pinball machine that does not work is a 300 lb doorstop.

Keep Flipping,

- TBK

-2
#220 6 years ago

And 15 years ago pinball was dying...all but dead. All fixes by techs, or not, were nothing but a shot in the dark. I'll take pinball today vs. then. All advances in tech have their risk. Maybe it's forgotten, and the one who've bought into it are screwed (beta vs. VHS), but advance is better than dead. A risk into the advance is always a risk. A risk on an established company (Stern), is better than a risk of a new...but still a risk...but a better bet. Chose your poison. I choose advance vs. stagnant.

#221 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

And 15 years ago pinball was dying...all but dead. All fixes by techs, or not, were nothing but a shot in the dark. I'll take pinball today vs. then. All advances in tech have their risk. Maybe it's forgotten, and the one who've bought into it are screwed (beta vs. VHS), but advance is better than dead. A risk into the advance is always a risk. A risk on an established company (Stern), is better than a risk of a new...but still a risk...but a better bet. Chose your poison. I choose advance vs. stagnant.

No issues with advancements in technology.

However, the difference between the past (>15 years ago prior to the dawn of "modern age of pinball" which we say for generic reasons around 2000 after the closure of Williams) and today is five primary areas and quite profound:

One, the logic and design was made available by the manufacturers upfront with the release of the game titles from every major manufacturer
Two, the parts were still available in quantity for more than 10 years, not five years (or much less in some cases today), if a manufacturer remained in business.
Three, larger pools of qualified technicians were available to repair games based on an operator involvement.
Four, boards in many cases were interchangeable even between different systems or logic design was not radically different, but often improved.
Five, dedicated test kits were issued/purchasable to diagnose problems.

In periods of pinball "death", it was the collectors who kept pinball alive and moving forward not manufacturers to whom still existed, but in marginal form.

There can be no direct correlation from the leap of electromechanical to solid state electronics (1976) because the systems are uncomparable based on a complete concept of operational redesign, other than the fact the manufacturers provided full diagnostics of even EM games made between the 1960s and 1970s.

Present Stern (and other manufacturers using similar SMD technology) games have become only two steps away from a home model machine similar to what has been attempted repeatedly in the past at the earliest days of solid state design, notably cheap and disposable. The SPIKE system specifically is a modification of the board designs Stern used for their "The Pin" homemodel games in order to control the added necessary features. This controller design went BACKWARDS from SAM and WhiteStar board designs in attempts to further reduce costs with no added benefit to consumers or operators. There was no noticeable advancement and improvements or any robust nature of RSD (Reliability-Serviceability-Durability) of games, and everything that was provided as a "benefit" in reality was smoke and mirror marketing. The only reason the company was able to pitch this successfully was out of lack of individual knowledge/experience, and a weakened operator market. Almost to the point it seems they preyed on certain levels of lack of information, which to me is unacceptably unscrupulous. I only offer my educated perspective.

The reality is certain applications of new technology CAUSE death of application, such as pinball devices, if improperly executed.
The simplest example of this with SPIKE is removal of proper voltage fuse overprotection, and failure of design any heavy duty engineered tool, or equipment. This is unbelievable in any coin operated amusement device "designed for commercial use".
If an individual is spending now in excess of $10K+ on an individual piece of technology (pinball or anything else) with "undercooked" control designs, I would think this would be of important major concern for purposes of longevity.

Pure acceptance of this aspect of "it is just the way it is" is just propagation of the continued problem.
Owners should not be so carefree, or they may find it bites them in the butt very soon, as some have already discovered the difficulties.
Pinball machines are not Android phones, although there are continued attempts to move in this direction.

Consider this example.
If a person buys a car (new or used, it does not matter), and two years later, takes it to dealer (or qualified auto mechanic) that requires repairs and this is the response they receive from the technician:
"I would like to fix your car, but the parts are NLA, and we really don't understand how the original manufacturer designed the parts and how they worked. Sorry. Would you like to buy a new car instead?"

In the world of pinball, many dealers are not designated "repair centers", they are simply distributors of games with little to no experience in these types of repairs and in the past at least acquisition of parts, unlike today, which further reduces availability. There presently are no "Stern SPIKE technician repair classes" which would be highly beneficial. Those days from the Bally/Williams classes from 1979-1995 are gone as well. Commercial pinball machines were never designated as pure "throw away devices" in history, as they were designed to last for at minimum of 10-15 years in difficult operating conditions, not gamerooms with minimal play. In home environments this length of time doubles or even triples, which is evident by games made prior to 1999. I can testify to this account with games that are well over 40-50 years old in my own home. When owners "modern" games partial failure rates have risen significantly (and bought new in box) in less than a couple years, that in an indication of a significant problem that in uncontestable.

Understanding, not pure reflection of the past, has benefits for predicting the future.
Enjoying pinball in the present is great, but for some it means enjoying pinball in the future as well, as collectors are the "caretakers" of these devices and provide generated interest for future enthusiasts when many others move on from pinball after "in season" as a fad is over. Otherwise, the games would not still exist. I have heard this pitched line many times before.

According to the latest propaganda, Stern is "focused on the barcade market and return of operators", but the nature of their designed electronics does not support the claim. Phone tech service does not constitute repair services either.

Keep Flipping.

#222 6 years ago
Quoted from xTheBlackKnightx:

No issues with advancements in technology.
However, the difference between the past (>15 years ago at the dawn of "modern age of pinball") and today is five primary areas and quite profound:
One, the logic and design was made available by the manufacturers upfront with the release of the game titles (this included Stern!)
Two, the parts were still available in quantity for more than 10 years, not five years (or less in some cases), if a manufacturer remained in business.
Three, larger pools of qualified technicians were available to repair games based on an operator involvement.
Four, boards in many cases were interchangeable even between different systems or logic design was not radically different, but improved.
Five, dedicated test kits were issued to diagnose problems.
There can no comparison from the leap of electromechanical to solid state electronics (1976) because the systems are uncomparable based on a complete concept of design.
Present Stern (and other manufacturers using similar SMD technology) games have become only two steps away from a home model machine similar to what has been attempted repeatedly in the past at the earliest days of solid state design, notably cheap and disposable. The SPIKE system specifically is a modification of the board designs Stern used for their "The Pin" homemodel games.
This controller design went BACKWARDS from SAM and WhiteStar board designs in attempts to further reduce costs with no added benefit to consumers or operators. There was no noticeable advancement and improvements or any robust nature of RSD (Reliability-Serviceability-Durability) of games, and everything that was provided as a "benefit" in reality was smoke and mirror marketing.

I agree with you, and you have vastly more knowledge on the specifics than me, but the reality for me is that Stern, for now, is what the advancement of pinball tech is (although I have hope in the many upcoming companies that there are to change this). I hope that tech becomes less disposable and more user fixable, but that is not reality...as is with almost all technology today. In 20 years...I hope it is different, but then again...in 20 years, I won’t care, I won’t be here. I will enjoy what there is now.

#223 6 years ago

Well lucky for me (touch wood) my GoTLE has been faultless in all areas. No pf issues no cabinet issues no node board issues. I wonder if I jinxed myself. I will let you know!!

#224 6 years ago

As an owner of Spike 1 and 2 games, what worries me the most is not that I can't do any board repairs on any game, ever.

It's when people who are full time pinball technicians also can't diagnose and fix issues as no schematics have been released ( and they are not fused )

I will continue to enjoy the games but the moment it becomes clear there may be more serious issues, they are gone.

#225 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

And 15 years ago pinball was dying...all but dead. All fixes by techs, or not, were nothing but a shot in the dark. I'll take pinball today vs. then. All advances in tech have their risk. Maybe it's forgotten, and the one who've bought into it are screwed (beta vs. VHS), but advance is better than dead. A risk into the advance is always a risk. A risk on an established company (Stern), is better than a risk of a new...but still a risk...but a better bet. Chose your poison. I choose advance vs. stagnant.

But there's no excuse for Stern to not release documentation and circuit diagrams.

I don't buy for a second that they're protecting trade secrets.

Documenting and codifying all this stuff takes time and effort. Time costs money. Stern don't like spending money on anything without direct financial benefit to themselves. Elimination of fuses should tell you all you need to know with regard to their attitude to costs.

JJP machines are way more complex, and they document EVERYTHING.

#226 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

And 15 years ago pinball was dying...all but dead. All fixes by techs, or not, were nothing but a shot in the dark.

That is a line of bullshit right there. Tech's 15 years ago where given the information(service guides and schematics) and even test rigs.

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Pinball/PDF%20Pinball%20Misc/Pin%20Repair.pdf

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#227 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

And 15 years ago pinball was dying...all but dead. All fixes by techs, or not, were nothing but a shot in the dark. I'll take pinball today vs. then. All advances in tech have their risk. Maybe it's forgotten, and the one who've bought into it are screwed (beta vs. VHS), but advance is better than dead. A risk into the advance is always a risk. A risk on an established company (Stern), is better than a risk of a new...but still a risk...but a better bet. Chose your poison. I choose advance vs. stagnant.

What!?

I could fix just about any WPC board issue back then just as I can now. Sega/Stern wasn't much more difficult because it was similar technology.

These days most of the advancements in tech that you speak of is throwaway technology, designed to keep you ordering new parts from the manufacturer since there isn't much on them that is repairable. This is acceptable to most as long as the parts are cheap and the manufacturers keep them in stock but what if that changes? If pinball became "dead" again (won't happen anytime soon) we would really be screwed.

#228 6 years ago

Just woke up. The line of all fixes by techs were a shot in the dark is incorrect. I apologize. As far as documentation, I agree it would be better to let the masses have this, but if your iPhone acts up, can you get the schematics of the board to fix it, or do most just get a new iPhone. My point is that that seems to be the way tech is going with everything. Fixing a car or major appliance is extremely difficult if you wanted to work on a board. Boards in those are never fixed, they are replaced (at least from a consumer stand point). I’m not defending this practice, but it is reality.

#229 6 years ago

I was wondering about buying some back up node boards for my KISS - Spike 1.

Bit of a shock seeing prices and how many are out of stock.

And doesn't look like they have them all anyway.

http://www.marcospecialties.com/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=node+board+

#231 6 years ago

just like cars high priced custom parts

#232 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

Just woke up. The line of all fixes by techs were a shot in the dark is incorrect. I apologize. As far as documentation, I agree it would be better to let the masses have this, but if your iPhone acts up, can you get the schematics of the board to fix it, or do most just get a new iPhone. My point is that that seems to be the way tech is going with everything. Fixing a car or major appliance is extremely difficult if you wanted to work on a board. Boards in those are never fixed, they are replaced (at least from a consumer stand point). I’m not defending this practice, but it is reality.

Apple doesn’t expect the user of the phone to fix it if it breaks, stern does expect a homeowner that has a game in their home to call stern tech support if there is a problem, they then send you the parts and expect the homeowner to replace and repair their own games, could you imagine if other manufacturers did this, “Hi Chevy tech support my motor in my new car isn’t working” ok, we thinks it’s the engine, we will ship one out to you.

#233 6 years ago
Quoted from Colehvac1:

Apple doesn’t expect the user of the phone to fix it if it breaks, stern does expect a homeowner that has a game in their home to call stern tech support if there is a problem, they then send you the parts and expect the homeowner to replace and repair their own games, could you imagine if other manufacturers did this, “Hi Chevy tech support my motor in my new car isn’t working” ok, we thinks it’s the engine, we will ship one out to you.

True. Pinball is unique in this stance. As far as I know, no other pinball company sends out technicians to your home to fix your game. Well, I did hear Stern sent out a technician to remove a playfield from a defective cab...but it is unusual. That's how all of pinball is. Right or wrong. I replaced my playfield myself (had a ghosting one that Stern replaced). I would've loved a technician to come do it for me as it was way above my head. But, I got it done. I also knew what I was getting into when I started getting into pinball. Companies don't normally foot the bill for technician services. I guess, if this wasn't acceptable, I wouldn't be into owning pins, just playing them.

#234 6 years ago
Quoted from dnapac:

True. Pinball is unique in this stance. As far as I know, no other pinball company sends out technicians to your home to fix your game. Well, I did hear Stern sent out a technician to remove a playfield from a defective cab...but it is unusual. That's how all of pinball is. Right or wrong. I replaced my playfield myself (had a ghosting one that Stern replaced). I would've loved a technician to come do it for me as it was way above my head. But, I got it done. I also knew what I was getting into when I started getting into pinball. Companies don't normally foot the bill for technician services. I guess, if this wasn't acceptable, I wouldn't be into owning pins, just playing them.

It’s fine for most collectors, but there are some buyers out there that have no mechanical expertise.

#235 6 years ago
Quoted from Joe_Blasi:

just like cars high priced custom parts

Spike MPU board is in no way 'custom' .... nor does it cost much to make or Stern to buy ...

#236 6 years ago
Quoted from rubberducks:

Spike MPU board is in no way 'custom' .... nor does it cost much to make or Stern to buy ...

Well they do have big markup on parts.

#238 6 years ago

Back to TBK's first recent post
> Operators have to have own complete replacement costly board sets to keep games functioning on routes ($150-1000 for >EACH board via aftermarket sales when available)

Yup............

I've got the following Spike games on a relatively low volume location, GoT Pro, Kiss Pro, Aerosmith Pro, BM66 Prem, GB Pro, SW Pro, and I've got a GoT Prem in the basement (hey, I liked the art).

Overall I've had a really good experience so far with spike but totally agree with TBK's "swaptronics" comments. My GoT Pro still isn't quite right but the issues are minor so only my regulars would notice them. Its ok for general public play but I don't like the fact that it doesn't work perfectly and the problems are repeatable.. My HUO GoT Prem also seems to have ghost switch hit issues but I haven't been able to track them down and honestly haven't spent much time on it.

When I got serious about trying to fix my GoT pro step one was to buy a full set of node boards and start swapping them out. That cost me about $500 just to get the stuff to start troubleshooting. I swapped out every board one at a time and the problems were still specific and repeatable. Then I swapped out the CPU, rebuilt part of the sword lock mechanism, moved wiring, replaced SD cards, replaced network cables (only 1 so far, more coming).

Soon I'll have systematically swapped out every major component of the electronics and a lot of minor ones. And I have no clue so far what is causing the problems. I might get this game fixed some day but TBK has brought up some good points.

If Stern could provide these boards for what they should cost (maybe $75 node boards assuming a one tier markup) it might not be so bad. But 10 years from now if not sooner we will need a Spike version of Rottendog boards to make these games realistically sustainable.

#239 6 years ago
Quoted from BC_Gambit:

Is this a joke, or ? I don't WTF often, but WTF?

Cool, and thank you. I don't own a spike game yet... but it seems it will be up to the community to document this stuff...

Not kidding. Stern purchased pinball arcade if I'm not mistaken

#240 6 years ago
Quoted from sandersj:

Back to TBK's first recent post
But 10 years from now if not sooner we will need a Spike version of Rottendog boards to make these games realistically sustainable.

Therein lies the problem.

Rottendog (and Alltek) make clones with modern components. In 10 years Stern's hardware patents, if they have them, will still be active.

Others make redesigns, and I'm sure RD and AT could too.

However ... these are multilayer, often densely packed PCBs, with absolutely zero documentation or circuit diagrams released by Stern. Even if you can guess what most of the components do, good luck figuring out where are all the traces go and how they're connected. It would be extremely time consuming (and costly) to reverse engineer these.

If JJP go belly up tomorrow, replacement boards could be on the market in just a few months, because everything is documented.

#241 6 years ago

"If JJP go belly up tomorrow, replacement boards could be on the market in just a few months, because everything is documented."

They definitely have the moral/ethical high ground on this issue.

#242 6 years ago
Quoted from PinLen83:

Not kidding. Stern purchased pinball arcade if I'm not mistaken

From what I understand, they partnered with Farsight to produce digital versions of the tables--they didn't buy it.

Press release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stern-pinball-and-farsight-studios-launch-the-stern-pinball-arcade-on-oculus-300277879.html

#243 6 years ago
Quoted from sandersj:

"If JJP go belly up tomorrow, replacement boards could be on the market in just a few months, because everything is documented."
They definitely have the moral/ethical high ground on this issue.

Don't they have usb security dongles? that are not fully documented Well due to the DMCA they can shut down talk of hacking them.

#244 6 years ago
Quoted from ForceFlow:

From what I understand, they partnered with Farsight to produce digital versions of the tables--they didn't buy it.

move like sold the rights and farmed out the codding.

#245 6 years ago
Quoted from Joe_Blasi:

move like sold the rights and farmed out the codding.

Sounds fishy.

#247 6 years ago
Quoted from Joe_Blasi:

Don't they have usb security dongles? that are not fully documented Well due to the DMCA they can shut down talk of hacking them.

Well, the programmers are members of the community and have access to that information.

So if JJP goes under, they’d be free to release the keys. I’d assume.

#248 6 years ago
Quoted from jwilson:

Well, the programmers are members of the community and have access to that information.
So if JJP goes under, they’d be free to release the keys. I’d assume.

well they may be tied by the content agreements / contracts that force them to encrypt data on the licensed games.

at one point steam did they if they want under that they where going to unlock the drm on the games but content agreements may get it the way of that.

#250 6 years ago
Quoted from sandersj:

Has anyone has any serious electronic failures on a spike system yet? So far my Kiss and GoT pros are doing great on location with no issues below the playfield. I searched on "Spike problems" and saw some reset issues and a complaint about GI turning off with the door open plus the usual "I don't like the switch location" but other than minor ergonomic issues has anything failed yet? Anybody have any mysterious power driver or lighting/switch issues?
I'm just curious so I can study up in advance of any anticipated failure modes. If any exist.

the only problem is, when you have to fix it. Because you can't. Spike games as of right now, are only fixable as long as the boards are being made, and all versions of every revision are being made. Once that stops, your game is disposable or can be parted out.

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